Comparison

the roll vs Afters

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

the roll

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Some nights deserve more than a camera roll full of posed selfies and carefully curated stories. The Roll is a shared disposable camera for you and your crew. Everyone shoots blind. Nobody sees anything - not even their own photos - until the timer hits zero. Then it all comes out at once. >> How it works Start a roll, name it, and invite your crew. Everyone shoots into a shared pool of photos - no previews, no filters, no second chances. When the time comes, the roll locks. Then, at exactly the right moment, every photo from every person is revealed simultaneously. The good, the bad, the completely unhinged. That's the whole thing. And it's better than you'd expect. >> Why it feels different Most photo apps are about curation. The Roll is about capture. There's no pressure to look good, no checking what you shot, no deleting the blurry ones. You just point and shoot - and trust that the moment is worth keeping. The simultaneous reveal is where the magic happens. Opening a roll with your friends and seeing what everyone caught - angles you missed, moments you forgot, faces mid-laugh - feels like developing film from a disposable camera. Except everyone's camera, all at once. >> Built for real nights Whether it's a house party, a weekend trip, a birthday, or just a random Tuesday that turned into something - The Roll captures it the way it actually felt. Not the version you'd post. The real one. - Shared photo pool: everyone's shots, one roll - Blind shooting: no previews, no filters, no do-overs - Simultaneous reveal: everyone sees everything at the same time - Disposable camera aesthetic: warm, grainy, honest - Reactions: relive the night together, shot by shot - Party & Event rolls: bigger crews, more shots, custom reveal times - Add shots mid-roll: when 30 just isn't enough The Roll. Your night, unfiltered. Privacy policy: https://www.notion.so/the-roll-privacy-policy-3273d8355035801eacecd9e0b4b7d9ca?source=copy_link Contact us: https://www.notion.so/the-roll-contact-us-3273d83550358081b5f3fcbd9e70c06f?source=copy_link

About

Afters

This app reinvents the disposable camera for group events. Start a shared photo roll, invite friends to contribute, and view all the photos together once the roll 'develops' at a set time. It's designed to keep everyone present while capturing memories.

Highlights
  • Start shared photo rolls
  • Invite friends via link or QR code
  • Set shot limits per person
  • Schedule photo roll development
  • View all photos simultaneously
  • Save favorite photos
Features
Read full description

One party. One camera roll. Your whole crew. Afters is the disposable camera, reinvented for the group chat. Start a roll for your party, share one link or QR code, and everyone shoots into the same roll all night long. No camera apps to compare, no group album to chase down the next day - just one shared roll the whole crew fills together. Here's the twist: nobody sees the shots while the party's on. The roll stays sealed until it "develops" — then the entire night appears at once, for everyone, all at the same time. It's the disposable-camera magic: you shoot blind, you trust the moment, and the morning after you get the whole night back in one go. HOW IT WORKS 1. Start a roll. Name your party, set how many shots each person gets, choose when it develops. 2. Share the link or QR. Everyone joins in a tap — no account hunting, no friend requests. 3. Shoot together. Each guest snaps their shots straight into the shared roll, all night. 4. It develops. At the time you set (or the moment you choose), the roll opens and the full album lands for everyone. 5. Keep it forever. The developed roll is one shared album the whole crew keeps — save your favourites to your phone. WHY PEOPLE LOVE IT • No more "send me the photos" — every shot from every guest is already in one place. • No phones-out-all-night energy. A few shots each keeps everyone present. • The reveal is an event. Watching the whole night develop at once, together, hits different. • Hosts stay in control — set the shot limit, the develop time, and moderate the roll. • Anyone can host, anyone can join. Birthdays, weddings, festivals, house parties, trips, reunions. Afters doesn't run ads, sell your data, or track you across other apps. Your party's photos are private to the people you invited. Put the phone down. Shoot the night. Relive it together. Start a roll — it's free.

Screenshots

the roll4 screens
Afters4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Afters at none against the roll's 3. Afters also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. the roll sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Afters asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

the roll ships an update every 2 weeks, Afters every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
the roll versus Afters: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameterthe rollAfters
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size20 MB44 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperVan der Velden BVNeobility

In-app purchases

3 purchases

the roll

One-time3
  • 15 Shot Booster$1.49
  • Party Roll$2.99
  • Event Roll$7.99
None

Afters

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is the roll free?
the roll is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Afters free?
Afters is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do the roll or Afters have ads?
Neither the roll nor Afters shows ads.
Which is updated more often, the roll or Afters?
the roll ships an update every 2 weeks, and Afters every 3 weeks. Most recently, the roll was updated on September 22, 2026 and Afters on September 18, 2026.

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